Is It Worth My Time To Sue An Abusive Debt Collector Under The FDCPA?
Is It Worth My Time To Sue An Abusive Debt Collector Under The FDCPA?
Normally it is worth your time to sue an abusive collector under the FDCPA.
But we have to ask what do we mean by “worth” your time?
Worth can mean money, peace of mind, or the satisfaction of doing something good. Let’s look at these.
Can The Money Awarded Be Worth Your Time Suing an Abusive Debt Collector Under the FDCPA?
From a money standpoint, suing abusive debt collectors can be worth your time.
Even if you have no damages, you can still get up to $1000 in statutory damages under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). If you do have actual damages, you can recover these. Including mental anguish damages.
If the collector is calling your cell phone illegally, you may be entitled to statutory damages of up to $1500.
Per call.
We have had clients who received six figure settlements based upon illegal calls to a cell phone.
And then you can get actual damages which includes mental anguish.
We had one client where the jury came back and said the abusive debt collector owed $100,000 in actual damages for revealing the client’s debt to the client’s parents.
You can also receive punitive damages under state law.
In one case a jury said $300,000 was appropriate to punish the debt collector.
We have had many six figure settlements against debt collectors.
So, yes, I would say the money can be worth it.
While most cases are not six figure cases, if the debt collector pays you even $5,000 or $25,000, is this worth your time?
I think most clients would say yes.
Is the Peace of Mind Worth Your Time in Suing an Abusive Debt Collector?
I think most, if not all, consumers who sue abusive debt collectors greatly appreciate and value the peace of mind that comes from the suit.
Why does suing a debt collector who is harassing you give you peace of mind?
One reason is it makes the abusive debt collector stop its abuse of you.
The phone stops ringing.
The threats come to an end.
Often when there is false credit reporting the collector will fix your credit report.
You regain peace in your life.
Sometimes the peace can be jolting as you may not even realize how much the abusive bill collector is affecting your life until you reach that peace.
I’ve never had a client say “I wish I had not sued the collector because I miss dealing with the harassment!”
I don’t ever expect that to happen either…. 🙂
But the peace of mind is not just for you — it helps others and that is worth your time….
Helping Others is Worth Your Time in Suing an Abusive Debt Collector
Every time you stand up and show the abusive debt collectors that you are not going to take their abuse, that makes it more likely that the abusive collectors will stop abusing others.
The more consumers know you can sue, the more likely those consumers will sue.
The more people that sue, the less profitable it becomes for abusive collectors to keep doing “business as usual”….
We talk about this in our article on being a hero by suing abusive debt collectors. There is power in standing up to the bad guys.
This alone makes it worth your time but remember you will also personally have the collector not harass you after you sue and you may receive money as compensation or as “statutory damages.”
If You Want to Talk About Your Options in Suing an Abusive Debt Collector — Contact Us Now
If you live in Alabama and you are dealing with an abusive collector or any company that is violating the law by illegally calling your cell phone, feel free to get with us to find out about your rights.
You can call us at 205-5879-2447 or click this button to fill out our contact form.
Talk to you soon and thanks for stopping by!